Ohio man among six killed when vintage planes collide at Texas air show
A Hilliard man was among the six crewmembers killed Saturday when two airplanes crashed at an air show in Texas.
Maj. Curtis Rowe, with the Ohio Wing of the Civil Air Patrol, was killed when two historic planes, a B-17 Flying Fortress bomber and P-63 Kingcobra fighter plan, slammed together shortly after noon above Dallas Executive Airport, less than 10 miles from downtown Dallas.
Col. Pete Bowden, also with the Ohio Civil Air Patrol, said Rowe was a long-time pilot who was an active member of the organization and impacted thousands during his lengthy career.
“Curt touched the lives of thousands of his fellow Civil Air Patrol members, especially when flying cadets during hundreds of orientation flights over the course of his service,” Bowden said.
Rowe was a volunteer crew member of the B-17 Flying Fortress bomber as a part of the Commemorative Air Force where he “shared his passion for flying,” Bowden said. Rowe also had 30 years of service with the Civil Air Patrol, a federally supported nonprofit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force.
Video from the scene appears to show the P-63 turning into the path of the B-17. Both planes break apart and the P-63 then flies straight into the ground and explodes. Raging flames quickly give way to thick, black smoke.
The show had drawn about 4,000 spectators. The debris field stretched across airport grounds and onto a nearby highway and strip mall, but no injuries to people on the ground were reported, according to USA TODAY.
The National Transportation Safety Board announced Saturday that it would be investigating the crash.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio man among six killed in Texas airshow crash
